Pakistani court sentences human rights lawyers to 17 years over social media posts

A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced human rights lawyers Zainab Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 17 years in prison each, citing social media posts authorities said were hostile to the state and its security institutions.

The verdict, delivered by Judge Afzal Majoka, came a day after the couple was arrested in Islamabad. Mazari and Chattha appeared briefly via video link but boycotted the hearing, prompting the court to conclude the trial. Their family and friends condemned the ruling, calling it politically motivated.

According to court documents, Mazari had posted multiple tweets over the past few years that “portrayed the agenda” of the banned Baloch separatist group and the Pakistani Taliban.

The case originated from a complaint filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, alleging that the couple used social media to malign the state and its security institutions. They were formally indicted in October 2025 and had repeatedly refused to appear in court.

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In his verdict, Judge Majoka referred to the complaint, stating that Mazari “consistently disseminated highly offensive, misleading and anti-state content on social media,” allegedly with the “active connivance” of her husband. The prosecution also claimed Mazari promoted a narrative aligned with hostile terrorist groups and other proscribed organisations and individuals.

Both Mazari and Chattha have denied the charges.

The prosecution also accused Mazari of propagating a “narrative that aligned with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organizations and individuals.”

The couple, who were formally indicted last October and had repeatedly refused to appear in court, denied the changes.

International and domestic rights groups condemned the arrest of Mazari and her husband and called for their immediate release.

Amnesty International said in a statement Friday that the couple’s detention marked “the latest escalation in a sustained campaign of judicial harassment and intimidation by the Pakistani authorities.”

It said Mazari and Chattha were arrested while on their way to a court hearing, with eyewitnesses reporting that law enforcement officials used excessive force. No reasons were given for the arrests at the time, raising serious concerns about the couple’s safety.

Human rights activists in Pakistan have increasingly come under pressure from the government, which has been cracking down on criticism and dissent. Mazari and Chattha often represented journalists, political figures and human rights activists who had been detained by the security forces without formal charges or court appearances.

Mazari is the daughter of Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s former human rights minister who served under imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. She denounced the verdict on X as ”totally illegal.”

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar praised the verdict against the pair. “As you sow, so shall you reap!” he wrote on X, adding that they had been sentenced under the cyber laws.

With inputs from agencies